Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Almonds

I know there are many Brussels sprout hatters out there and this probably won’t be a popular post. Which is fine with me because I happen to love those cute miniature cabbages. Growing up in my Mexican home Brussels sprouts were nowhere to be found. I only heard of their existence from one of my friends. She would complain and try to hide out at my house when her mother put Brussels sprouts on the dinner menu. So I just figured they were another one of those weird foods Americans ate, like Sloppy Joes. Mind you that opinion was formed without ever having tried one, much less laying eyes on a single Brussels sprouts.

The first time I saw or tasted Brussels sprouts was at one of my in-law’s Thanksgiving dinner. My husband was surprised I had never eaten a Brussels sprout so he insisted I have a taste. Let me tell you, I was so very pleasantly surprised. They were roasted to perfection with walnuts and red onions, heavenly. From then on I often asked my hubby to make them for me. My husband prepares his Brussels sprouts different then those at my in-law’s and I love his just as much. He likes to boil them with very little water and lots of butter, and a few seasonings. Since learning to cook I continued to prepare them like my hubby taught me. Usually we just buy frozen for the convinience and fact that they are available year round. But the other day I found fresh, raw Brussels sprouts and I did a little happy dance.

I’ve been waiting to get my hands on fresh Brussels sprouts for a long time so you can imagine how excited I was to see them. Immediately I knew they would be roasted with a little oil and garlic. The almonds came to mind as a way of adding a little crunch and a bit more nutritional value to the side dish. So I kept it simple and below is what I did.

Seasonal, simple, and nutritious side dish. Perfect for the holidays or a weeknight dinner.

Author: SpicieFoodie.com, Nancy Lopez McHugh

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

500 gm or 1 lb. fresh raw, Brussels Sprouts

3 garlic cloves, minced

100 gm or 3.5 oz blanched almonds

olive oil, about 1-2 tbsp - adjust to taste

salt, to taste

ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200c or 392f . Properly rinse the Brussels Sprouts, remove any damaged outer leaves. Cut off bottom stem, then cut in halves. In a large bowl gently toss the Brussels Sprout halves with the remaining ingredients. Making sure to evenly coat the Brussels Sprouts.

Place in center of oven and roast until desired firmness. Please note that I roasted them for 20 minutes to our personal taste. But know that overcooking Brussels sprouts will cause them to release an unpleasant odor.

Many of you have probably asked yourselves, do Brussels sprouts come from Brussels? According to Wikipedia “many historian do not believe the plant originated there.” So then why are they named after a city in Europe which they do not come from you ask? What I read said that they were cultivated in ancient Roman times in modern day Italy and in the 1200s in Belgium. What we know today as a Brussels sprout was cultivated in Belgium during the late 1500s in mass quantities and apparently that is the reason behind the name.

Did you know that Brussels sprouts are quite nutritious? Well they are! They are a good source of fiber, loaded with vitamins k and c, can help lower cholesterol, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, good for your heart, they are just really good for you okay? I know the Brussels sprout haters are saying if they are so good for you then why do they taste so bad? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s because you or whomever cooked them for you overcooks them. Apparently overcooking Brussels sprouts causes them to release an unpleasant sulfur smell giving them that bad taste. So don’t over cook them. But not just because of that smell but also because they loose their nutritional value. Since I’m guilty of overcooking Brussels sprouts I wont give you the best time to cook them but just know that the shorter the cooking time the best results you’ll have. So give Brussels sprouts another chance won’t you? Nod your head yes. Good foodie, now get in that kitchen. :)

I LOVE Brussels sprouts and despite the fact that I haven’t even had breakfast yet your photo just made my tummy rumble. The crunch of the almonds is a great touch. Thanks for including my link by the way!

Awe thanks so much for the mention here, but your photos are so spectacular, I am drooling over them! WOW~ just amazing as expected… wished you had a school I could go too!
I am going to go check out some of the other wonderful dishes you listed happy thanksgiving! and again thanks for mentioning me!

For some reason, this type of produce I never see. Think I will have a talk with the produce guy, I am not even sure when it is in season. Anyhow this does make for a tasty and healthy side dish-roasting does sound like the perfect method of preparation. Nice touch with the almonds. Definitely something I need to add to the selections for side dishes. Terrific post.

These look amazing! I was a hater, until I realized that roasting them turned them into pure magic! Your recipe looks stunning! Your photos are lovely, as always! Thanks for including a link to my recipe….you made me smile!

You have made these into such a beauty! As a child I detested them, but found out as an adult that it was more the way they were prepared. No offence to my Master Chef Dad, but one he added bacon…and as you probably know I do not do meat, next the inner portions were so bitter. Now I love them, but more like you have prepared them. Will want to try this :)

I have only had brussel sprouts a few times in my life, the first time they were not prepared very good, so I didn’t try them again for a long time, but I think if they are cooked just right they can be amazing, this sounds try-worthy so I am bookmarking your recipe to try soon!

Wow, the brussels sprouts look really good, and considering I’ve spent my whole life thinking they were the grossest vegetable ever, amazes me. But lately seeing them cooked on tv and now here, I admit to wanting to give them another try.

[…] veggie and turned it into a rich and tasty salad that I would definitely love to give a try. This Roasted Brussels Sprout with Almonds is definitely a nice, light salad to serve alongside all those heavy Thanksgiving […]